Out of the Shadows

By GirlMaverick

"Move it you cumbersome brats!" The overseer screamed, cracking his whip in the air to punctuate his words. Lauren was startled abruptly out of her day dream. She picked up her pace, if she was late in delivering the Lord's new cloak she's get a whipping for sure.

She fumed silently; why did Lord Babyship need this stupid cloak anyway? He's such a stuck up, spoiled, sorry excuse for a child. Sitting in his comfortable chairs in his nice, clean clothes while his slaves were worked to death. Who did he think he was? The overseer stopped outside the manor house. He showed his papers to the guard at the door and was admitted.

Lauren could barley conceal her excitement. This was it! If her plan succeeded then she would be free! If it failed…she shuddered and turned her mind from the possibility.

Gathering herself she stepped into the entrance hall and proceeded to the room where her delivery was to be received. Bowing deeply to the lords present she extended the cloak towards them.

Katelin started pounding on the bars to her prison cell and shouted every insult she could think of at the guards that walked past. She had been here a month already, wasn't that long enough? The guards ignored her, as always, and as always she began to silently berate herself for ever taking that last, stupid job.

She had just had to go and steal from Lady Daria. She just had to go and try to take her ivory hair comb… while she was still wearing it! Stupid Bren, he probably wouldn't have paid her even half it's worth anyways. He was like that. Well! That's the last time She'll take a job from HIM! She plopped down heavily. She just had to get out of there!

Tara hid in the trees planted near the target house. What kind of an idiot plants an oak tree right next to their window? "One who's just asking to be robbed." She answered her own thought in a low whisper. She climbed the tree and crawled through the open window.

Looking around she spotted a safe and got started on the locks. Tara laughed softly at how simple they were. She only had a fleeting moment to wonder at the ease of it all before the door was flung open. The safe sprung open just in time for her to grab the small cloth bag inside as she fled back out the window.

An arrow grazed Tara's leg as she ran. She had known it was too good to be true, but how was she supposed to know the stupid people had warding spells!? She winced at the feel of her own warm blood trickling down her leg.

With a sigh of relief she dived into the Maze of ancient abandoned buildings at the edge of the city. The guards wouldn't follow her inside without reinforcements. After seeing that her cut was only superficial, with no taint of poison she ripped a strip off of her shirt and used it for a bandage. She turned her attention to the small bag she had grabbed from the safe. She upended it and grinned as a costly pearl jewelry set fell out into her hand.

Tran bounced around the reception room in excitement. He was waiting for his new cloak, albeit rather impatiently. It was going to be blue with gold embroidery, and a silver bear rearing on it's hind legs (his family crest) stitched onto the breast.

"Tran!" His fathers voice was sharp but his eyes indulgent. "Stop acting like a peasants child!"

"Sorry." Tran said, not stopping in the least. His father sighed.

"Tran!" He said sharply. Tran sat down and began to fidget.

The door opened and Tran's eyes lit up when he saw the slave enter with his new cloak. Leaping from his chair to take his cloak. The girl darted forward and grab his jeweled sword from it's sheath by his waist.

"Hey!" He shouted. Then everything went dark.

When Lauren saw the lordling run to retrieve his cloak, she reached her arm around him and grabbed the sword at his waist.

"Hey!" he shouted.

She hit him on the head with the sword hilt and he was out cold. She pressed the sword against his neck and confronted his father. "I'm leaving, and you had better not try to stop me!" Lauren ran out of the building, dragging the unconscious boy with her. She cursed herself for not planning what to do with him. She couldn't bring him back, she'd be recaptured… but if she didn't there'd be a price on her head for sure.

When the guards brought the daily meal to the prisoners Katelin was ready. She collapsed onto the floor and pretended to be unconscious. When the guard brought her food in he thought she was week and was not nearly as alert as he should have been.

She jumped him. She grabbed his sword and pressed it lightly to his throat. She then calmly departed from the prison while the guards were still unsure of what to do. When she reached a back alley she released her hostage. She considered the sword still in her hand. "I think I'll keep this." When the guard looked again she was gone.

Katelin smiled to herself. I, she thought, am the best. I got out of that jail and showed them something they'll never forget. Nobody messes with me! She was so busy congratulating herself that she didn't even notice the other girl until she walked right into her.

"Hey!" The girl exclaimed, "Wha' the hack are ya doin' here!?"

Katelin jumped back, startled. "Who are ya? Why haven't I seen ya befo'? Did ya jus' move at the mazes (that was the nickname for the ruins that served as a hideout for the less law-abiding folk)? Are ya new to the trade? Are those pearls real? Good job!"

The girl looked momentarily overwhelmed by the rapid barrage, then she said, "Tara, I'm good at that, nah, nah, ye', thanks." She paused for a breath. "What's your name?"

This time it was Katelin's turn to be confused. "Um… Meh name's Katelin, call meh Kay. Um…"

Tara laughed. "Sorry. I do that sometimes. What meant was that my name's Tara, you haven't seen me because I'm good at not being seen, nah I didn' jus' move here, nah I'm not new at the trade, Yah they're real pearls, and thanks for the compliment."

Kay grinned. "Oh… I get it now."

Tara looked Kay up and down and promptly announced, "Ya look like ya fell in a garbage dump. Wha' happened ta ya?"

Kay looked proud. "I just escaped from the jail.

Tara frowned. "Don' expect me to be impressed. If ya was really cleva' ya wouldn't have been in there to begin with."

Expressions flashed across Kay's face, first surprise, then embarrassment, then anger. She finally settled for glaring at Tara.

Tara was irritated; Why was this girl hanging around? I want to hide the pearls as soon as possible, but I can't do it while she's here!

Kay didn't seem to realize the awkwardness of the situation. "Hey… Um… Where'd ya get them from anyways? The pearls I mean."

Tara looked at her suspiciously… was she going to try to turn her in? That line of thought was cut short when the girls heard enraged screaming coming from somewhere to their right. They both crept over to investigate, hiding behind a pile of rubble.

"Huh?" Tran woke up feeling very groggy. "Where am I?" Then he saw the slave girl sitting nearby with her back to him. She was looking at his sword. Suddenly he remembers. Hey! Wheat did you do?!"

The girl turned to face him. "You want to know what I did? I made a stupid mistake, that's what I did!"

Tran glowered at her "You made a mistake alright! Take me home this instant!"

The girl's face turned red with anger. "Take yourself home! That would be a nice solution to my problem! I could get rid of you without showing my face. Go on now, scat!" She flipped her hand at Tran in emphasis of her words.

Tran drew himself up straight. "How dare you speak to me like that! I am the son of a great lord!"

She screamed back at him. "Right! And now you're my hostage so you had best shut up!"

Tran fell quiet, but his face burned with rage.

After taking a moment to calm down Lauren spoke again, "Why don't you just go home now?"

The angry flush on Tran's face took on a more embarrassed hue. "I don't know the way." He said, "I don't even know where I am."

Tara walked confidently into view and was rewarded by the way both strangers gave a start of surprise. "You're in the mazes." She stated matter-of-factly.

The boy looked horrified. "Bu-but there are thieves here!"

Tara grinned and fingered her pearls. "The name's Tara."

Tran turned even redder when he realized what he had just said and who he had just said it to.

Someone laughed. All heads turned towards the rubble. "Well," she stated dryly, "he's right on that count."

Tara whirled on her. "Will. You. Go. Away?" She pronounced each word slowly and with emphasis.

The girl nonchalantly placed her hands an her hips and smirked. "But I like it here. Besides, don' ya have a bigger problem at deal with?" She gestured towards the two strangers who had resumed their quarrelling. Tara acknowledged the truth of the statement with a curt nod. They turned back to the newcomers.

"Ok. So let me get this straight." Tara turned to face Tran. "Your some lord's son who you," She addressd the girl. "kidnapped. Not for ransom money or you wouldn't have told his to leave. So…why?"

Lauren felt her face turn crimson. "I escaped slavery alright!? I used him to prevent anyone from trying to stop me!" Tara nodded.

"C'mon kid." she said to Tran, "Maybe I'll get a reward for bringin' ya home." She motion for Tran to follow as she walked off.

The other girl extended a hand to Lauren. "I like your style. C'mon, I'll get you something to eat."

So Lauren and Tran both walked off with their new benefactors.